Almost Human: One Life, Two Worlds
by kisa-kara-chan
Summary: Ishikawa Asami is not like other ghouls. She can eat normal food, so she is able to pass off as a human. However, she is hunted by investigators and ghouls alike: as "Angel" and as the ultimate prey. To add to her troubles, she is dating CCG investigator Amon, who believes her to be human. As everything starts to spiral out of control, it gets harder and harder to keep her secret.
1. Prologue: Fated Encounters

**Welp, I had started this as some assorted drabbles, but ended up trying to write a beginning for a at-time-possible-fanfiction. Then I showed it to a few friends, one of which badgered me to continue... hence, well, this.**

 **This takes place during Tokyo Ghoul anime season 1, I guess? I still have yet to read the manga to completion, but yeah, anyway…**

 **Plz ignore any inconsistencies, but please give me advice on how to keep the canon characters in character if you think they don't sound/act like how they would.**

 **To those readers who have read my other works before, yes, angst will ensure. One: it's Tokyo Ghoul, two: it's _me_ we're talking about here. ^^**

 **To my Kuroshitsuji readers who have stumbled upon this fic, yes, I'm still working on TBTM 2, but am hitting repeated writer's block for that, hence "escaped" to other fanfiction such as this. But don't worry, I'm still working on TBTM 2 (though slowly. lol).**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

 **PLEASE R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul © Sui Ishida**

 **Claimer: everything else © me**

* * *

Prologue: Fated Encounters

"Inspector Amon," a young man said, "here are the case files you wanted."

"Thank you, Kazuya," the CCG inspector responded, flipping through the newly-brought files.

"Hey, hey, did you guys all hear about 'Angel'?!" Inspector Takizawa exclaimed in excitement as he bounded over towards the other inspectors. "She saved several inspectors when they were attacked by some ghouls from Aogiri Tree!"

Amon raised an eyebrow. "The SS-ranked ghoul," he recalled. "She's a strange ghoul that only appears once in a while, huh? What do we know about her?"

Kazuya flipped through one of the files he was holding and opened it up. "Hmm… SS-class ghoul, said to be female, has an _Ukaku kagune_ akin to the wings of angels, hence the nickname. However her _kagune_ is transformable to make them into a normal ghoul's _kagune._ She's a one-eyed ghoul, and from our knowledge no humans have been killed by her. In fact, whenever she's spotted, she is being attacked by other ghouls. Special notes: several inspectors have reported that she had healed them of their injuries when they were attacked by other ghouls. One inspector reported that when he was injured by a ghoul, Angel appeared and warded off the opposing ghoul. Then she restrained him and healed his wound before releasing him and disappearing."

"That's pretty amazing." Takizawa grinned. "Wouldn't it be great if we had a ghoul like that on our side?"

Kazuya scowled. "Don't be silly. It's impossible for ghouls and humans to work together. After all, we're nothing but food to them," he noted, then continued reading the notes on Angel. "Well… there's a theory that there's a slight chance that Angel is able to eat human food. During one rescue an inspector reported seeing her with a bag of groceries."

Takizawa scratched his head in confusion. "At this point this girl sounds more like a human with ghoul-like properties than an actual ghoul…"

"Don't be fooled," Amon warned. "It could have been a trap just to throw us off our guard."

Kazuya sighed, closing the case file and setting it on Amon's desk. "Anyway, I'm off back to my desk if you need me."

After he left, Amon was approached by Inspector Nakijima.

"Hey Amon, we're off to a mixer tonight, wanna join?" he asked.

Amon shook his head. "No thank you," he declined politely. "I have a girlfriend that'll be waiting for me to come home."

"Ooh," Takizawa cooed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend, Amon."

"Yes," Amon agreed with a nod. "Her name is Ishikawa Asami, and she's younger than me by a year."

"Ooh, d'you have a picture of her?" he asked curiously.

Amon took out his cell phone and flipped to a picture of them together, showing his co-worker the image of a beautiful woman with long brown hair, her green eyes glittering brightly, a wide smile on her face. She had a slim figure with an ample bust, and her milky, peachy skin contrasted against the orange sundress she was wearing.

"Whoa… she's beautiful," Nakajima commented. "How'd you meet her?"

"I rescued her from a ghoul attack once during one of my first cases," he explained. "Something… sparked between us, and after one or two dates, we started a relationship."

Nakajima grinned. "Love at first sight, eh?" he teased.

Takizawa sighed, "I wish I could meet a girl like that…"

"So, I appreciate the offer, but I can't go to the mixer," Amon concluded, putting away his phone.

"Understandable," Nakajima said. "If I had a girlfriend as cute as that, I wouldn't go to a mixer even if you paid me to go."

Amon nodded. "I'm very lucky and honoured to have her as my girlfriend," he agreed.

Suddenly his phone rang, and he picked it up, placing the receiver against his ear. "Hello? Ah, eh? She's here? Okay, send her up please." After hanging up, his cheeks coloured slightly in embarrassment. "Umm… she's actually coming up right now."

Not five minutes later, the beautiful woman in the photo came out of the elevator with a wrapped up bento and a blanketed basket before quickly finding Amon at his desk with the others surrounding him.

"Ah, Kotarou," Asami greeted happily, "I'm glad I made it before lunchtime."

"Hey Asami," he greeted, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "Sorry to have made you come all the way here to deliver my lunch."

She shook her head. "I don't mind," she replied, handing him the neatly-wrapped bento.

"Thanks," he said with a smile. "Oh, um, these are my co-workers."

Immediately Takizawa bounded over to her in joy. "I'm Takizawa Seidou!" he introduced happily. "It's so nice to meet you, Ishikawa- _san_!"

She smiled, bowing to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, "I'm Ishikawa Asami, Amon's girlfriend. Please take care of him."

"A-Asami!" Amon stammered in embarrassment.

"Haha," she laughed, setting the basket on the table, and it was only then that they were aware of the sweet, warm smell wafting from out of the basket. "I've baked some goods for you all. I hope you all enjoy."

"D'awww, you shouldn't have," Takizawa said, eagerly peeling back the blanket to reveal a variety of muffins, breads, and cookies. "Thank you, Ishikawa- _san_."

She smiled. "It's no problem,' she assured, going over to press a quick peck on Amon's cheek. "Come home safely, okay?"

"Asami- _san_ ," a monotonous voice addressed, and all eyes turned to see Special Investigator Arima Kishou, quinque briefcase in hand whilst wearing the usual white trench coat, indicating that he was on his way out.

"Ah, Arima- _san!_ " Asami greeted, walking over to him. "It's good to see you again!"

"E-Eh?" Amon stammered, "Y-You know Investigator Arima?"

The stoic investigator gave a short nod in response. "Asami- _san_ and I have a common taste in novels," he said, "so occasionally she lends me one of her books."

"I-I wasn't aware that you two knew each other," Amon said.

Asami giggled. "The topic never came up," she said.

Arima nodded at her. "I'll return the book once I'm finished," he told her. "Or I guess I can just give it to Inspector Amon to have it returned to you."

She smiled. "That's fine," she said. "No rush. Take care."

"You too," he responded, giving the others a prompt nod before leaving.

Amon stepped over to Asami, tilting his head at her. "Why didn't you tell me you knew Arima- _san_?" he asked.

She chuckled. "You never asked," she responded before drawing her lips down into a pout, batting her long eyelashes up at him. "Plus you tell me not to come here too often because you don't want me to get targeted by the ghouls who are after CCG Investigators."

He looked away, his cheeks red. "I… uh…" he stammered, her adorable actions stilling his thoughts.

"Oh, who's this?" an older, more raspy voice noted, and all eyes turned to see Mado passing by.

Immediately Amon saluted him respectfully. "Mado- _san_ ," he greeted. "U-Uh, this is my girlfriend, Ishikawa Asami."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ishikawa- _san_ ," Mado greeted, "Amon- _kun_ speaks often of you."

Her smile widened. "Koutarou speaks highly of you, Mado- _san_ ," she said.

"A-Asami!" Amon scowled, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

They both chuckled in response.

Asami looked at her watch. "Oh, I should get going," she said. "I was heading for the supermarket. It was a pleasure to meet you all."

"You as well, Ishikawa- _san,"_ Mado responded, "please stop by anytime."

She smiled. "I will, thank you," she said, looking up at her boyfriend, "Would you please escort me back to the elevators, Koutarou?"

Amon offered his arm to her which she laced with her own before they went to the elevator, and Asami sighed as she hit the down button.

"I love you," she said with a warm smile.

He smiled a rare smile, leaning in to quickly press a kiss against her forehead. "I, um, love you too," he responded awkwardly. "See you at home. Stay safe."

"You too," she said, and reached up for a real kiss before disappearing into the elevator, waving as the doors closed.

As the elevator descended, Asami stared at her own reflection in the metal before closing her eyes.

 _Looks like it'll soon be time for me to get to work,_ she thought to herself.

When her eyes opened, she looked at the reflection in the metal and found herself staring at a ghoul, the left eye of the woman in the reflection being _kakugan_. Ishikawa Asami was a one-eyed ghoul.

* * *

 **I hope you've enjoyed this prologue! If any characters were out of character, lemme know (with advice too, if possible) and I'll do my best to fix/correct those in later chapters.**

 **But yeah, I imagine if Amon ever had a girlfriend, he'd be a complete blushing mess. PFFT. That'll definitely be fun to write.**

 **Well, lemme know what you guys think!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. The Ghoul Called Angel

**Whew, okay, lots to tackle.**

 **First off, thank you to: ~Guest and ~leena1445 for pointing out that Asami was close to being/is a Mary-Sue sort of character; and ~LockFlower for pointing out a whole bunch of particular aspects that should be questioned.  
** **I'm really happy that there are critical readers out there that are willing to point out a writer's flaws [I imagine most just drop the story and move on without saying anything] so yeah, thanks a bunch!**

 **SO, to the point, the first half of this chapter covers Asami's character design through a weird (for a lack of a better term) "two-sided" conversation. The second half covers Amon + Asami's relationship plus Asami's interaction with her remaining family, so basically just a little insight on her character plus what she risks losing if things go south.**

 **ANYWAY, for all of you who managed to read past the prologue, I hope this chapter will put some fears to rest. ^^ To be honest I was gonna put the events of this chapter in a later chapter, but since people already had arising concerns, I thought it'd be best to address them as early on as possible. XD**

 **Thanks to my friends Kuri-tan, mikel, and Colin for their assistance in editing a portion of this chapter. 3**

 **Enjoy!**

 **PLEASE R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul © Sui Ishida**

 **Claimer: everything else © me**

* * *

Chapter One: The Ghoul Called "Angel"

Later that evening after work, Amon headed over to Asami's apartment. Gulping nervously, he rang the doorbell, and within a few moments, Asami opened it with a bright smile.

"Hey Koutarou," Asami greeted happily.

"Hi Asami," he responded with a small, slightly strained smile, "am I early?"

She laughed. "Nope, right on time," she assured, "I just finished making dinner. Please, come on in."

After going inside and taking off his shoes, he followed Asami into the kitchen. "It smells delicious," he noted. "What are we having?"

"Ramen," she answered. "The broth is an old family recipe."

He nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"You're sweet for offering, but no, I'm pretty much done," she told him. "More importantly, what's troubling you today? You have that knot between your eyebrows again. Care to share?"

He pursed his lips guiltily. "Sorry, Asami, I didn't mean to-"

She reached up to place a finger over his lips, shushing him. "It's alright," she told him. "I understand the risks and concerns you go through in your job, and so the least I can do is just be your support when you need it."

"Asami…" he sighed quietly, his shoulders beginning to sag a little.

"Not to mention, I signed those non-disclosure agreements after we first met when you rescued me," she added with a chuckle. "So feel free to tell me whatever you need to."

Tippy-toeing, she slid her arms around his neck and reached up to give him a soft kiss. As she pulled away, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him, burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her skin.

"I'm sorry for coming to you so stressed," he murmured against her skin with a heavy sigh.

"Don't apologize," she assured, petting him lightly on the head. "I'm here for you when you need me."

As he raised his head, he stared deeply into her green eyes for a moment before he leaned in to give her another kiss. When the couple finally pulled apart, Asami chuckled.

"It's rare for you to initiate a kiss," she noted teasingly. "It's kinda nice, seeing you take charge."

Ignoring the now-blushing mess that was Amon Koutarou, Asami set down two giant bowls on the dinner table containing ramen, seaweed, sliced pork, green onions, boiled egg, and bamboo shoots. After sitting down, they began to eat.

"Mmm, this is really good," Amon commented.

She smiled. "Thank you," she responded happily before slurping up her noodles. "So, what's bothering you? I'm guessing it's ghoul-related, naturally."

"Yeah," he sighed. "There's a strange SS-ranked ghoul with an _Ukaku_ _kagune_ of white feathers that we call 'Angel'."

Asami raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she prompted, sounding interested. "I'm guessing the name comes from the _kagune_. So, what do you know about this 'Angel'?"

"She's a one-eyed ghoul that we approximate to be in her early to mid-twenties," he began. "Like most other ghouls, origins are unknown."

 _Nice to know I look younger than I am,_ she noted in her head. _But as you know, I'm twenty-five. Plus for the record I had a ghoul father who was killed by Doves, and my human mother who you just met last week._

"Based on reports, investigators say her angelic-like _kagune_ can return back to an average _Ukaku kagune_ ," Amon continued to explain.

 _Actually my angel-like_ kagune _is basically like a crystallization of the normal_ Ukaku kagune _,_ she corrected mentally, continuing to eat her ramen in large gulps. _It's only good for flight, otherwise it's useless. Plus with the normal_ kagune _, I can barely do anything with it. At best I can use it for restraining others for a short time._

"That's pretty weird," she commented aloud. "Is she dangerous?"

" _All_ ghouls are dangerous," he answered firmly. "Nevertheless, our encounters with Angel have been odd. When she's encountered, we either have found her being attacked by other ghouls, or she intervenes with some of the fights between ghouls and investigators. Some investigators have reported that they were healed using her blood."

 _That is true,_ she confirmed silently, slurping down more ramen. _I bite my finger deep enough to draw blood, drip a few drops on the wound, and_ bam _, regenerating powers at work._

"Any side effects after these supposed 'healings'?" she asked, finishing up with the last of her noodles.

"Nothing negative," he answered flatly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Positive?" she prompted.

He nodded in confirmation. "Slight strengthening in muscle and bones, and several investigators reported a renewal of strength shortly after the healing was completed."

… _Yeah my blood is weird,_ Asami thought with a soft sigh as she got up to get another bowl of ramen. "This is one strange ghoul."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Apparently she was seen a couple of times with groceries, so there's a theory that she is able to eat human food. Personally I don't believe that to be true. It doesn't seem possible that she'd be able to produce enough RC cells in order to make a _kagune_."

 _Why do you think I eat so much and_ not _get fat?_ She retorted sharply in her mind as she sat back down with more ramen. _A majority of those nutrients goes to produce RC cells, Even then, I'm only able to properly utilize my angelic_ kagune _. If anything, you could say that it's_ because _I am able to process human food that my_ kagune _has turned out the way it has._

"So you think she probably feeds off humans as well? Then how come you guys haven't managed to pin her to a murder?" she asked.

His eyes slanted as he stared into his bowl. "She's too good," he answered. "She's somehow making kills that the CCG haven't picked up," he theorized. "Or else she's being fed by other ghouls, and only buying groceries to throw us off."

 _Wrong and wrong,_ she thought with a mental sigh. _I can eat human food, hence I buy groceries._

"That's a possibility," she lied. "So, I'm guessing you'll be hunting down this ghoul then, despite the slight possibility that she doesn't seem to be a danger to society?"

His hands tightened around the utensils he was holding. "The existence of ghouls is what's messing up this world," he stated firmly. "Angel is no different. One day I'll find her and dispose of her like the other ghouls."

Asami bit the inside of her lip, feeling a pang in her chest. _If you knew who I really was,_ she thought, _we wouldn't be sitting here eating dinner together._

"Sorry, Asami," Amon apologized suddenly, "I didn't mean to be so worked up, especially when we should be enjoying this delicious meal you've made."

She smiled at him. "It's alright," she assured kindly. "Do you feel better now that you've talked about it?"

"Yes," he agreed with a soft smile.

"Then that's all that matters," she determined. "Now eat up. I've made a lot."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After dinner, the couple sat on the couch in front of the television, watching a cooking show. Asami wasn't satisfied with the stiff sitting-next-to-each-other position they were in, and she tilted her head to rest against Amon's shoulder. When he didn't protest the action, she began to lean closer into him, half-resting on him now as she settled against the crook of his neck.

"U-Uh…" he stammered, a bit startled by her sudden shifting. He could feel heat rising to his face as she was close enough now that he could smell the sweet plum-blossom scent wafting off her. "U-Umm…"

Putting her legs up on the couch, she let out a soft sigh as she relaxed into her new position against him. But she noticed that his body was stiff against hers, and she pursed her lips together, afraid to look up at him.

"I-I'm sorry," she began guiltily, "am I making you uncomfortable?"

"N-No!" he assured quickly, "It's not that I don't like it, it's just, um… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now."

Asami giggled quietly, peering up into his reddened face. "You can put your arm around me, if you'd like."

Amon awkwardly began to raise his arm around her, about to put it on her shoulder.

 _Umm… maybe that's too formal,_ he realized, placing his hand on her waist instead.

But to his surprise, she tensed under his touch.

"Kyah!" she squeaked.

He immediately retracted his hand as if she had burned him. "S-Sorry!" he apologized quickly. "Was that too much?"

She laughed, "No, no, I'm just a little ticklish there. It's okay, really."

Reaching back, she took his hand and tugged his arm around her waist, settling his hand against the side of her stomach as she adjusted slightly to make it easier for him. She chuckled as she noticed that Amon's hand was shaking slightly, and she gave it a gentle squeeze, causing him to jump a little.

She laughed at his reaction. "Just _how_ many girlfriends did you have before me?" she teased.

"U-Uhh…" he stammered in embarrassment.

She smirked. "Thought so," she murmured in agreement. "But really, we've been going out for a while, so you don't have to be so tense with me, alright?"

Amon exhaled deeply as he forced himself to relax, leaning back into the couch. She looked up at him with a wide smile.

"Asami," he began gently, "put your head against my chest."

She blinked at him for a few moments before she had fully comprehended the directness of what he had said, and lowered her head to press her ear against his chest. Her eyes widened in surprise at the quick and light beating of his heart.

"See how fast it's tumbling?" he noted quietly, his arm tightening around her waist as he pulled her closer. "It's because you're so near. This is what you do to me, Asami."

She chuckled, pulling back as she slipped out of his hold before she moved to face him, straddling his legs. Her hands gently caressed his neck as she stared deeply into his eyes. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her against him.

"I love you, Koutarou," she murmured emotionally.

He gazed deeply into her wet green eyes. "I love you too, Asami," he whispered, and she leaned in to kiss him deeply.

The cooking show all but forgotten, Amon's hand moved to the back of her head, allowing his fingers to curl through her soft brown hair as he kept her mouth glued on his with soft, passionate kisses. Finally pulling away for air, Asami readjusted herself to sit in-between his legs before resting her head against his shoulder, and he held her close, an arm around her shoulder while his other hand rested on her lower back.

"Do you want to stay over tonight?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he breathed without hesitation.

 _If I was ever discovered to be a ghoul…_ Asami realized, closing her eyes, _this would all end…_ She sighed heavily. _I can't allow anyone to destroy my one chance at happiness…_

"Tired?" he prompted.

She smiled. "A little bit," she admitted. "But I'm sure you're even more tired from work. Why don't you go ahead and shower first?"

"No, you can go ahead first," he insisted. "You're tired, after all."

"Mmm… Alright," she agreed readily, climbing off his lap before heading to her room to grab her clothes before she disappeared into the bathroom.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After her warm, relaxing shower, Asami was surprised to find that Amon was not in the living room.

"Koutarou?" she called.

There was no response, and she headed back into her bedroom, and to her surprise, she found him outside on her balcony doing… push-ups?

She opened the sliding door, looking down at him as he continued doing push-ups. "Umm… what are you doing on my balcony?"

"I need to get stronger," he panted in between push-ups.

His words brought a smile to her face. "I admire your self-discipline," she noted teasingly, "but right now I want my cuddle-bear Koutarou, so hurry up and go get showered so I can cuddle with you."

He stopped in embarrassment at her words and stood, avoiding her gaze as he placed a hand over his face as if trying to hide his flustered expression from her. Quickly he hurried past her towards the wooden drawers.

"Your spare clothes are in the second drawer," she reminded lightly.

"Y-Yeah, I know," he responded stiffly, picking up fresh briefs, pants, and shirt before quickly heading for the bathroom.

Asami chuckled at his embarrassed behavior before she locked the balcony door and closed the curtains.

 _I have to be careful,_ Asami thought to herself as she sat down on the edge of the bed. _One wrong move and I could expose everything…_

A few minutes passed as she silently meditated to try and settle the fear and unease rising in her heart. Her meditation was interrupted, however, when the phone rang.

 _*ring ring* *ring ring*_

Asami went over to the phone outside her room before picking it up. "Hello?" she greeted.

"Hi Asami, it's Mom," Ishikawa Shinoa greeted warmly.

"Oh, hi Mom, how are you?" Asami replied cheerfully, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," she answered. "I was just worried about _you_."

Asami was taken aback. "Me?" she repeated in surprise.

"Well, you _are_ dating that investigator..." her mother responded uneasily.

The ghoul sighed. "Mom…" she began warningly, "we talked about this already."

"I don't care," Ishikawa Shinoa protested. "I lost your father to ghoul investigators, I'm not willing to lose you too. You need to leave him, Asami. It's just too great of a risk for you to date an investigator. What if he sees your _kakugan_ or your _kagune_? He'll kill you."

"Mom, please," Asami interrupted in frustration, "I know you're worried about me, but it'll be okay."

"Please Asami," her mother pleaded, her voice greatly on edge with desperation, "you manage a successful bakery, you're able to blend into human society, you can eat regular food and live a normal human life. Don't risk throwing all that away by staying with this man. I'm begging you, Asami, you need to leave him."

"Mom…" Asami sighed in frustration, "After Dad died I've been completely obedient to your requests of me. This time, I just can't grant that request, Mom, I'm sorry."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before Ishikawa Shinoa let out a heavy sigh. "You're not a child anymore, Asami," she said begrudgingly, "and you're old enough to make your own decisions for yourself, and I respect that. Just… please, be careful."

"I'll be careful, I promise," Asami swore quietly, a small smile touching her face. "I love you Mom."

"I love you too, Asami," her mother responded gently. "I'll talk to you later. Have a good night."

"You too," Asami responded before hanging up the phone, sighing heavily.

Returning to her room, she laid down on one side of the bed, curling up with a sigh. About five minutes later, Amon finished up in the bathroom and found his girlfriend curled on the far side of the bed, facing away from him.

"Asami, I heard the phone ring. Did someone call?" he asked.

"Yeah," she agreed, turning onto her back, "it was my Mom checking up on me."

He lay down next to her on his side and draped an arm across her waist while propping his head up with an arm. "I don't think your mother likes me very much," he noted, sounding troubled.

"She's just…" she began, pausing for a moment as she tried to find the right words, "uneasy, is all. She's uneasy about you being an investigator." She slid her hand under his, squeezing lightly.

He sighed heavily, "I can understand. My job is dangerous, and I could die any day. It's risky for you to be involved with me, considering I might disappear from your life any day. It's risky for us to get closer."

 _Well, it's actually because she's scared that you're going to find out that I'm a ghoul and kill me,_ she corrected in her head, _but sure, let's go with that._

"I promise I won't die," he promised her quietly, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "I won't hurt you like that…"

"Mmm…" she murmured, closing her eyes and nuzzling closer against him.

He smiled, squeezing her hand before climbing off the bed. "Get some sleep, Asami," he chided softly, flicking off the lights while she curled onto her side.

"Mmhmm…" she sighed with a tired yawn.

As Amon returned to the bed, he lay down behind her, his chest pressed against her back as he draped an arm around her waist.

"Good night," he whispered softly.

"Good night," she murmured with a gentle sigh, feeling sleep lull lightly at her senses. _If Koutarou ever discovers my true nature,_ she thought sadly, _then all of_ this _–a life together, that all ends. No matter what, I won't allow this dream to turn into a nightmare._

* * *

 **Wow, that was a long chapter… -_-"**

 **Welp, I hope any fears/worries have been put to rest, and if not, lemme know via review. If Amon's outta character, lemme know as well, and I'll try to fix him up for later chapters. XD If there are any MAJOR character design concerns for Asami, also plz lemme know in a review so I can fix that, but if it's something minor feel free to let me know so I can either fix it or address it by other means in later chapters.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. A Day in the Life of Ishikawa Asami

**OTL I've been dead on fanfiction for like… AGES now, I feel. Idk, my hiatus periods are random and when they're random, they end up getting long.**

 **The primary issue at hand is that I'm getting stuck in a hole for both this story and for TBTM: Another Side, Another Butler. What I mean by that is that I don't see the endgame of where I want this story to end, which is what I usually have in mind when I'm writing these full-length fanfiction stories. That said, I apologize in advance if the next few chapters seem like they're going nowhere. There's a plot, it's somewhere, I promise. LOL. But it also is my excuse for the long-silence between updates, as if I do drabble on, I have to make it flexible enough for future plot to work around.**

 **ANYWAY, in apologies for the delay, here's an extra-long chapter for you! Sorry if the writing's weird, it's been a while.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **PLEASE R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul © Sui Ishida**

 **Claimer: everything else © me**

* * *

Chapter Two: A Day in the Life of Ishikawa Asami

 _Asami's_ kagune _was spread out wide, and for some reason she was unable to make them disappear._

What's going on? _She wondered, looking down at the floor and seeing herself being reflected with her_ kakugan _eye._ Man this is weird.

" _Asami?" a familiar voice prompted._

 _She whirled around to see Amon Koutarou staring at her in wide-eyed horror. "Koutarou!"_

" _Asami, you're… you're 'Angel'?" he murmured._

 _When Asami blinked, suddenly Mado Kureo was standing next to Amon, a look of gleeful disgust on his face._

" _I never would have pegged you to be a ghoul, Ishikawa-_ san _," he snickered. "I can't wait to make your_ kagune _part of my collection."_

" _Koutarou, listen to me," Asami began quickly, "I'm not like other ghouls. I'm able to-"_

 _She abruptly broke off as she felt something painful rip through her, and upon looking down, found a sharp sword-like_ quinque _pierced through her chest. Looking back, she saw Arima Kishou wielding it, staring at her with cold, heartless eyes._

" _A-Arima-_ san _…" she choked._

 _Turning back to Amon, she was horrified to find that he had his own_ quinque – _the Doujima ½, raised. Looking deeply into his eyes, she found no trace of love or affection in his gaze. Instead she only saw the eyes of a man –of a CCG Dove, who was ready to kill a ghoul._

" _That's the way, Amon-_ kun _," Mado urged._

" _K-Koutarou…" she rasped, trying to reach out towards him. "P-Please…"_

" _Die, Angel."_

 _Without any hesitation, Amon swung._

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

" _No!_ "

Asami awoke with a jolt, sitting up abruptly before realizing that she had been having a nightmare. The room was beginning to be a little brighter, indicating that it was likely past dawn.

"Asami?" Amon sat up in worry, gently rubbing up and down her arms.

She nodded slowly as she tried to calm her racing heartbeat. "I-I just had a nightmare…" she admitted. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Not at all," he assured, pulling her against his chest. "Are you okay? You're shaking all over."

"E-Eh?" she stammered, suddenly realizing that she was actually trembling, raising her hand and seeing it shaking. Quickly she buried her face against Amon's chest, causing him to blush and hold her closer.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered, but she shook her head, burrowing her face against his warm scent. "Don't worry, Asami, I'll protect you from anything that tries to harm you."

 _Can you protect me from yourself?_ She thought bitterly. _If you knew what I really was –that I was a ghoul, you would do the same thing as you did in my nightmare. You would try to kill me._

After a while, Asami had finally calmed down and relaxed in Amon's embrace, and she pulled away to look up at him.

"I'm okay…" she murmured softly, her eyes still a little dimmer than usual.

"There's still a few hours before we need to get up," he said, kissing her lightly. "Try to get a little more rest."

As they lay back down together, Asami was surprised to find that Amon had pulled her such that she half-rested on his chest, his arm wrapped firmly around her waist to keep her against him.

"K-Koutarou…" she murmured.

"Umm… please don't look at me right now," he said, sounding flustered, and she could imagine that his face was probably beet-red. "I'll, um, do my best to chase your nightmares away, so, uh, hopefully you'll get some better sleep in the next couple of hours."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hours later, Asami awoke peacefully, but found herself alone in the bed. Reaching out and palming the side of the bed, she noted that it was cold.

 _Hmm… he must have left already,_ she figured.

Glancing over at the bedside table, she found a note. _Hey, you seemed pretty tired, so I thought it best to let you rest a bit more. Sorry about not waking you up before I left. I'll see you later tonight. -Koutarou_

She could hear the sound of rain falling from outside, and when she went to pull open the curtains, stared out into a depressing rain.

 _It looks like it'll be a dark day today,_ she thought before prepping herself for work.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After arriving at her bakery _Omakase_ , she found her workers already working hard inside, a sweet smell drifting throughout the bakery.

"Hey boss," they all chimed in greeting.

"Good morning, everyone," she replied back happily. "Sorry that I'm running late today."

The cashier -a young-looking man with dark hazel eyes, smiled while tilting his head at her. "Late night, Ishikawa- _san_?"

"Something like that," she responded. "Don't worry about it, Mibuchi _-kun_."

As she headed into the open-kitchen, one of the bakers, a sweet-looking blonde girl, nudged Asami in the side playfully. "Your boyfriend keep you up late?" she teased suggestively.

Asami chuckled, "No, no, Sakura- _chan_ ,nothing like that. I just didn't sleep very well."

"Well, take it easy then, Ishikawa- _san_ ," she replied cheerfully. "Ah, do you want to do an inventory check? We got stocked up this morning."

"Sure," Asami said brightly. "I'll put my stuff in the staff room first."

Asami was unpacking some new boxes of coffee beans when she discovered that there was one extra box.

"Eh?" she murmured to herself, looking back at her inventory list. "Kira- _kun_?"

A few moments later the brunette baker popped his head into the pantry. "Yes, Ishikawa- _san_?"

"Is there a reason why you ordered an extra box of these premium-grade coffee beans?" she asked curiously.

He blinked at her for a few moments. "Uhh… whoops…" he admitted guiltily. "Sorry, Ishikawa- _san_."

"It's okay, I'll pay for this extra box this time around," she assured, "Just be more careful next time. I've been meaning to get more coffee anyway."

He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry again, Ishikawa- _san_ ," he apologized. "I promise I'll be extra careful next time."

Picking up the box, Asami took it over to the break room and opened it.

 _Hmm… even I can't go through twenty bags on my own,_ she thought. _Well, I know a certain coffee shop who'd have a use for these._

Taking out three bags for herself, she folded up the box before going to find her manager. Eventually she found the petite blonde sitting at her desk, organizing through various orders.

"Ah, Ishikawa- _san_ ," Kitazawa Sayaka greeted. "Is there something you need?'

"Yes, I'm heading out for a bit," she answered. "I'll be back in about half an hour or so to make a delivery. Do you mind watching the store for me till I get back?"

"Don't worry," Sayaka responded cheerfully. "Leave it to me!"

Asami chuckled, "Thanks, Kitazawa- _san_. See you later."

Returning to get her coat and purse, Asami picked up the case of coffee beans and left the shop, heading towards a certain coffee shop in the 20th ward…

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Kaneki Ken was just finishing up a fresh brew of coffee when Ishikawa Asami walked into Anteiku. There weren't any customers at the time, so she couldn't help but wonder who he was making the coffee for.

"Ah, h-hello Ishikawa- _san_ ," Kaneki greeted with a slight bow.

"Hi, Kaneki- _kun_ ," she greeted brightly, "is Yoshimura- _san_ around?"

He shook his head. "He's out at the moment, but Yomo- _san_ is here if you want," he informed.

"No, it's fine," Asami assured, placing the box on the table, "I just brought some coffee beans for you guys. We have some extras, so I thought I'd bring them over."

"T-Thank you," he responded.

The hall door opened to reveal Kirishima Touka, who was surprised to see who had arrived. But her surprise quickly turned into annoyance.

"What are _you_ doing here, Ishikawa- _san_?" she asked bitterly.

Asami offered a weak smile. "It's good to see you're doing well, Touka- _chan_ ," she greeted gently. "Don't worry, I'm just here to make a delivery."

"Well if you're done that please leave," Touka said, taking the two cups of coffee with her and heading back to the hall. "I don't want _more_ Doves around here."

She closed the door with a rather hard slam, causing Kaneki to jump a little.

"Umm… about Touka- _chan_ …" he began.

Asami shook her head with a bitter smile. "It's alright," she assured him. "I can understand her animosity towards me. Given my unique situation, I chose to _not_ pick a side, but instead do my best to minimize casualties for both humans and ghouls." Her gaze darkened as a self-deprecating smile touched her lips. "To Touka- _chan_ , I've chosen to turn a blind eye to all the horrendous acts done against ghouls, but it could be argued that I've chosen to turn a blind eye to the gruesome acts committed against humans as well."

"Ishikawa- _san_ …" Kaneki murmured, his eyebrows slanting in worry.

"I'm sick of all this bloodshed," she said miserably, "but… there's nothing I can really do about it. I know I'm being probably being an idealist about it, but all I want is peace between our two kinds. Either way, the reality is that ghouls are the predator, and humans are the prey, that's all there is to it. I don't belong in either world."

Kaneki scratched his cheek. "Umm… that's what I thought before too when I first was helped by Yoshimura- _san_ , and he told me that rather than not belonging in either world, I'm a special existence that can live in _both_ worlds, as a former human and all. So I think, for someone like you, you're the same as me. Like me, Ishikawa- _san_ , you can live in both worlds, and probably even better than me, considering that you're able to eat normal food and all."

She smiled. "Thanks Kaneki- _kun_ ," she responded. "Sorry for ranting."

"It's alright," he assured.

 _*ding-a-ling*_

The door opened with the presence of new customers, and Asami nodded at Kaneki, bidding him goodbye before leaving Anteiku.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After a quiet day at the bakery, Asami began heading home. Fortunately the rain had already stopped at this point, nevertheless, the rain had dulled Asami's ghoul senses a little, as usual. For some strange reason, whenever it rained, Asami's sense of smell decreased, as all she'd really be able to smell was the rain and the other smells dwindled. The only real way Asami could sense a ghoul before it'd attack was detecting their bloodlust… provided that the ghoul radiated enough bloodlust for her to detect.

She was making her usual way home, but the streets were unusually deserted, making her feel a little uneasy.

 _I don't have a good feeling about this,_ she thought to herself. _My gut tells me I might run into some trouble…_

She paused for a moment to analyze her surroundings, but as she was only met with silence, she continued onwards towards home.

However without warning Asami felt a strong force tackle her into the nearby alleyway, and she slammed against the wall.

" _Ah!_ " she exclaimed.

After recovering from the recoil of the shock, Asami leapt back further into the alleyway, whirling on not one, but _three_ attackers who bore glowing _kakugan_ s.

"Tch," she scowled. _Sometimes I really hate it when my gut feeling is right,_ she thought.

"You smell absolutely _delicious_ ," the left one purred, a _Koukaku_ _kagune_ extending out from his shoulders.

"Mmm, I can't wait to have a taste," the middle one agreed.

 _I have to get out of here,_ Asami thought, sparing a glance upwards to see clear skies; an unobstructed escape route.

Her _kakugan_ crept into her left eye, only exciting them more.

"Ooh hoo! Even better!" the right one exclaimed, "We got ourselves a One-Eyed ghoul!"

"No wonder she smells so good! Well then, come on," the center taunted. "Let's see what you got."

Asami's _kagune_ began expanding out from her shoulders, and she leapt back to avoid a sudden lunge from the three ghouls, though she had not expected that one of their speeds exceeded the others, and the ghoul slashed into her right arm, causing her to cry out as blood splattered against the pavement, the scent only driving her attackers crazy with wanting.

After a rather hard punch across the face, Asami recoiled and attacked, utilizing her speed to kick the nearest ghouls away before leaping into the air and beating her wings, shooting off out of reach and out of the alleyway to safety. After gaining some distance to ensure her safety, she removed her jacket and wrapped it around her arm to try and cushion the bleeding and weakly attempting to do her best on suppressing the scent as to not attract other nearby ghouls.

Without notice she dropped down into the dark, empty alleyway adjacent to her apartment building before quickly going into her apartment, making sure that she hadn't been seen or followed. Shutting the door behind her and locking it, she exhaled deeply in relief. Her wound was stinging a little, and she felt a little lightheaded.

 _Likely from the blood loss,_ she thought, removing her bloodied coat and looking at the deep scratches.

"Tch," she scoffed under her breath. "I should take care of this…"

Slowly but surely, she stumbled towards the bathroom for her medical kit, sighing at the irritation that the wound was on her dominant arm.

She pouted. _Bandaging this might be a little difficult…_

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After a tiring day at work and being able to get off early, Amon finally came to the doorstep of his beloved girlfriend, hoping that he'd be able to surprise her by making dinner for her before she got home.

 _I hope this'll go well,_ he thought to himself with a smile as he unlocked the door and took the groceries inside. However he was surprised by the fact that her shoes were already there, indicating that she was already home. But his surprise quickly turned into alarm as he saw the trail of blood on the ground, as well as Asami's bloody jacket discarded nearby. His hands tightened into fists at the thought of something having happened to her before he quietly set down the groceries he had brought, carefully slipping off his shoes and following the blood trail. He had not brought his Quinque case and only felt regret for it now, but his priority for the moment was making sure that his girlfriend was safe. The trail led to the bathroom, where he saw there was light coming from inside. The door was slightly open, and he could only sense one familiar presence coming from inside.

"Asami?" he called out cautiously.

"Don't come in here!" she hissed.

Pushing open the door, he was shocked to find Asami sitting on the edge of the bathtub, her right arm raked with injury (though it was already mostly covered with pads), blood all over the sink and tile floor, and dirtied bandages that were her attempt at wrapping her injury.

"Asami?!" he exclaimed in alarm, rushing over to kneel down in front of her, looking closer at the injury, "What happened?"

She pursed her lips together, reluctant to tell him. "I…" she began, pursing her lips together, "Umm… I… on the way home…"

He reached up to touch her bruising cheek. "Does it hurt?" he asked in concern.

She bit her lip before shaking her head, looking down. "I-It's not that deep…" she murmured. _Due to me being a ghoul, the worst of the wound has already begun to heal,_ she thought.

"You should see a doctor," he insisted, but she quickly shook her head.

"N-No! I-It's fine…" she responded, "I… I'm okay…"

He sighed at her stubbornness before taking a new roll of bandages before gently beginning to bandage her arm, and she stayed silent.

"I know you must be scared," he began, still looking focused on his wrapping, "but can you tell me who did this to you? Or at least described what they look like?"

Asami had rehearsed this in her head numerous times. _Remember, keep it convincing,_ she reminded herself. "I-It was a ghoul…" she answered, her voice trembling slightly. "I-I was coming home early from work after running an errand, a-and I took a wrong turn into an alleyway."

She could feel him tense at the word 'ghoul', and she saw his muscles tighten, his jaw clenching as a new rage arose in his eyes. A pang of guilt touched her, as she did feel bad for lying to him, but at the same time, she knew that if she had told him the truth that she had been attacked by not one, but _three_ ghouls, questions would arise on how she was able to escape with only her single injury.

"I-I'm sorry…" she apologized quietly.

His eyes widened at her sudden apology before another one of his rare smiles touched his lips, warmth-filled worry in his eyes. "You have nothing to apologize for, Asami," he assured. "I'm not angry at you or anything. My priority right now is to make sure that you're alright. Afterwards I'll give Mado- _san_ a call and from there we'll try and figure out who did this to you."

She nodded wordlessly, and he continued wrapping the bandages until he was finished, smoothing down the taped end before looking up at her again.

"Is that okay? It's not too tight, right?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," she responded, and he nodded in approval before getting another bandage and a disinfectant spray, spraying a little on her cheek before smoothing the bandage over it.

"There," he said, satisfied. "I should take tomorrow off work, Asami. We don't know if the ghoul who attacked you today was targeting you or if it was a random attack. If it was the former of the two, then it's likely that they'll try again, and I won't risk your life like that."

Asami had little choice but to agree, nodding before biting her lip. "I know it's selfish of me to ask," She began hesitantly, "but… can you stay with me at home tomorrow? I… I don't want to be alone right now…" _Plus this way I can have a little more control over how much he finds out in the investigation,_ she thought to herself.

"Sure," he told her. "I'll keep you under my protective custody until we find out a little more on what's going on."

She stood up before fumbling a little due to light-headedness, and he caught her against him, crushing her against him in a bear-like hug.

"I'm… glad you weren't killed," he murmured quietly to her, burying his face against her hair. "I mean… I don't know what I would do if I lost you too…"

' _Too?'_ She thought in surprise. _But… he was an orphan, from what he told me before. What does he mean by 'too'? Who else did he lose before?_

As if he had read her mind, he continued on with, "You know… back in my academy days, there was this amazing woman that was in the same year as me. Her name was Harima Touko- _san_ , and the Doujima ½ actually used to belong to her. However, she was killed by ghouls, and the Doujima is all that remains as a memento of her."

"I'm… sorry." Though Asami felt guilt that her kind regularly caused pain to people like Amon by taking away their loved ones, she couldn't help but feel a teensy bit of relief that this woman he spoke so fondly of was no longer among them.

 _If this Harima-san didn't die… would things have been different? Would_ I _have been different? Would I have chosen a side to fight on?_ She wondered, burying herself in his arms. _Would Koutarou and I be together like we are now? Or would we have been enemies?_

She shook off her thoughts, knowing that it was useless to muse about what might have been.

"I love you, Koutarou," she murmured quietly.

"I love you too, Asami," he responded, holding her tighter.

After their long embrace, Amon pulled back and touched her bruised cheek lightly. "Go rest for a bit," he told her. "I'll clean up here."

Asami nodded, leaving the bathroom and heading for the couch. _Can I… can I really keep lying to him like this?_ She wondered as she lay down on her side, nuzzling against a pillow as she closed her eyes. _Given the dangerousness of my life, how soon will it be until he finds out the truth…? And if he does… will I be able to fight against the man I love?_

* * *

 **Poor Asami, having to lie to the man you love on a constant and consistent basis. TT_TT Sorry if this chapter seemed vague on details. The point was to literally just give an example of what a day in the life of Ishikawa Asami would be like.**

 _ **Okay, before you complain, yes, I know that that attack scene was random and ill-described**_ **. A combination of laziness and minor-details-cuz-those-attackers-aren't-especially-important-to-the-story. It was more for plot-convenience and driving the story forward. That said, it's nice to finally see some interaction with the canon cast, and I hope the antagonism from Touka is reasonable and understandable.**

 **Btw given some question/concern from readers, yes, Asami is meant to take a passive stance on her situation and play peacekeeper at this point in time. Reason being is that developing her character is one of the plot-drivers in this story, meaning that she WILL end up taking a side due to certain circumstances or after certain events. That said, being the evil sadistic angsty writer I am, I'll probably end up putting her through hell and back to drive her character forward, so it'll be interesting to see the direction that I'll take from here.**

 **Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lemme know if canon characters are too OCC or whatnot.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


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